I Will Be There For You
by The Grim Writer
Summary: After solving a case in the jungle, Daphne starts acting depressed. Can a certain scaredy cat hippy figure out what's bugging her?


Well, I got bored, so here's a Scooby one-shot. This takes place after the New Scooby and Scrappy Doo Show, "Scooby Of the Jungle". For those of you who don't remember it well (or at all), it was when the gang (Scooby, Shaggy, Scrappy, and Daphne) went to an African jungle preserve to interview its owner about the recent disappearing of the animals. Daphne ends up getting kidnapped by the legendary Randar the Ape Man (Shaggy and the dogs end up later as well), who was using an animal whistle to capture all the animals so he could sell them. One bad guy in a cage later, and the mystery was solved. I'd highly suggest watching the episode before this, but if you don't, hopefully this brief description will get you through.

Also, there are implications of sexual incidents/attempted rape (nothing detailed or anything, but something where a kid reading this might not understand). So, I'm giving a rating of T for this fic.

This fic is also technically cannon with my other Scooby story, "Time Heals", but this fanfic would serve more as a prequel, so there's no real spoilers. It's also Shaphne, but can be viewed as the two just being friends if you don't ship it. Also, I own nobody in this fic, all the characters belong to Hannah-Barbara/Warner Bros. q Anyway, remember to review!

* * *

A knock on the wooden door in front of him would be all it took to start the conversation. A relatively simple action, one that didn't require much work or effort. A fist was already raised, slowly ascending from its previous state of hanging limply from his shoulder and heading towards the door.

The fist stayed still for a few seconds before drooping back down at the young man's side.

Shaggy sighed. "Like, the hardest part about talking to her is well… just that", the beatnik said under his breath.

Despite popular belief, Norville "Shaggy" Rogers was no idiot. He certainly wasn't as brainy as Velma or leader material like Fred or Daphne, but he could read people's emotions like the layers of one of his famed jaw stretching sandwiches. And he knew as soon as him and the dogs stepped foot in this small hotel, something was wrong with Daphne.

In the earlier days of mystery solving, the original Mystery Inc. gang would all stop at the Malt Shop or the drive-in movie to calm their nerves after a case. Even though Scooby and himself were often seen as the only cowards of the team, the rest of the gang were affected by being chased by ghosts or monsters or whatever it was that was bumping in the night- they just didn't outwardly express it the same way as the duo did. Fred would try and concentrate on reading the paper, partially because it would distract him the nightmarish laugh like from that spooky Space Kook, as well as possibly find their next case. Velma would often analyze over the clues they found on their case, to try and make sense of it, or she would simply burrow herself in her thick orange sweater and quietly sip on her malt. Daphne would either talk, or if no one was in a talking mood, she would simply stir her drink with a straw or see what Fred was up to. Him and Scoob? They ate. And ate. And had a little more to eat. Then they ate again. Call it unhealthy living, but eating away their stress and anxiety has been the only method that always seems to work no matter the situation. But one thing always remained after all of these cases. One thing that each of them had from a night of fright, which was no delight.

The entire gang would be stiff. Partially from running away from a ghoul hot on their heels, but also because they felt a little terrified that something might just pop out of nowhere and lead them on to the next mystery. Ever since they accidentally stumbled upon the Ghost of Hyde in the back of the van, everyone had been a bit jumpier in between cases. Haunted houses, amusement parks, whatever, if it had the word "haunted" in it, they were more likely to find a ghost or goblin waltzing around the place. But the back of the Mystery Machine, their safe space? That was a new one.

Something bumped into the beatnik's hip, snapping him out of his thoughts and making him jump a foot in the air. An apologetic looking old maid gave him a small smile. "Sorry dearie didn't mean to bump into you there", she said as she pushed her cleaning cart down to the other end of the hall.

"Like no problem", was all he muttered before he started heading back to his and the dogs' room across from the door he spent the past few minutes lost in thought in front of. When Shaggy walked through the door, he found the room empty. A note on the bed told him that Scooby had taken his nephew to the diner down the street for a quick after dinner snack. A brief check in his wallet he left on the dresser revealed this to be true, as he was missing about twenty dollars from there.

Not that he minded much. At least the elder dog had enough sense to not bring the whole wallet, in case he were to lose it or something.

Sitting on the bed, the hippy burrowed his face in his hands with a sigh. Something was wrong with Daphne. That much he knew, but he just didn't know what. And considering she seemed pretty keen on keeping it a secret, it must have been something big. The gang was never one to keep secrets. Shaggy was a strong believer that secrets just broke a person's trust, as well as possibly an entire friendship, and he knew the rest of the gang felt this way, including Daphne. Which just made him more worried for her.

The ride back to the hotel was eerily quiet. Daphne hadn't said a work as she drove the Mystery Machine along the bumpy road that would lead them to the nearest city. Even Scooby and Scrappy calmed their shenanigans when they noticed the red head hadn't scolded them for playing too rough or laughed at any of their jokes. Shaggy wasn't sure what to say. He could tell something was wrong with her, but he had no idea what. Maybe she was upset on being kidnapped? She hadn't been taken hostage for a very long time, trying to lose her damsel in distress title she had unfortunately earned back in high school.

No, that didn't seem right. Call it a hunch, but the beatnik guessed that it was something else that was bugging the red head. Running a lanky set of fingers through his long hair, Shaggy tried to think. But his head kept drawing up a blank. Finally frustrated, he rose from his bed and went out into the hall to grab a snack from the vending machine to help him think. But a chocked sob from the room across from his made him freeze in his tracks.

Turning around, Shaggy made his way to the door in a hurry. Like it or not, he had to at least check on her, even if he had no clue what was wrong. Raising his fist, he gave three soft raps against the wooden door.

"Like, Daph? You ok in there?

Silence

"Daph? Daphne?

Silence yet again. Shaggy reached down towards the door handle and found that it was unlocked. Slowly opening it, the beatnik saw the red head lying under the covers. Shaggy took a quick glance around the room and walked over to the bed.

"Daphne? Daph, I can tell you're faking it"

The red heads steadily rising body froze before she shifted upwards on the bed in sitting position, shoving the covers off of her.

"How did you know?"

"Well, I could see a heel poking out from under the blankets, and I didn't see your shoes by the bed or anywhere else. That, and like the blinds are moving from when you just threw the sheets over you"

Daphne silently cursed her luck inside her head before turning her attention to the worried beatnik that was sitting down on a space on the bed right beside her.

"Daph, I've known you for a long time, and like I can tell somethings off"

Shaggy watched as she lowered her head, her red hair hiding her face from his view. A few seconds of silence went by before she spoke.

"Shaggy… do you remember what I was wearing when I was hanging in that cage? When you and the dogs found me?"

The hippy scrunched his face a bit, trying to remember what she was wearing. He had a feeling it wasn't her usual purple dress with her green scarf, so that couldn't be it. That new jumpsuit she bought, the purple one? Nah, she was saving that, it was brand new, so wha-

"Oh, wait, I know! That weird Tarzan dress Randar made you wear, right?"

Daphne nodded, her face still solemn, and Shaggy's face still confused

"Like, I don't get it- I mean, I know that thing was ugly, but like you're not wearing it anymore, so what's the big deal?"

"Shaggy, that dress only had one shoulder strap"

"Yeah, so…"

The beatnik trailed off as he suddenly realized what was wrong with Daphne. If she had been wearing that dress exposing her BARE shoulder, that meant she wasn't wearing anything underneath. And based on her sense of fashion, as well as the fact she was held kidnapped at the time, there was no way she put that on willingly. And considering that Randar wouldn't have been stupid enough to let her out of his sight to go change…

"Daph… oh my God, are you ok?"

"Yes, I'm fine… I just feel kind of, I don't know, exactly. Just a bad feeling"

Silence fell upon the two people who were now just staring at the blind covered window. That is, until Shaggy spoke.

"Did he… um, like, uh… did you two, um, well, did he-"

"No!"

Shaggy jumped at both her outburst and the shock on Daphne's face. Her eyes were wide staring him like a deer caught in the van's headlights before they resumed their saddened look.

"No, we didn't do anything. He didn't do anything to me. H-he just threw that old dress at me, and t-then w-watched, and, and h-he made m-me-"

The red head could no longer resist the tears forming at her eyes and started crying. A lanky limb wrapped around her shoulder and pulled her into a hug, which she graciously accepted. It could have been anywhere between five minutes or five hours before she stopped crying, she wasn't sure, but when she opened her eyes she caught site of a damp olive green t-shirt and a pair of red bell bottoms.

"Shh… it's gonna be alright Daph"

 _Fat chance. What happened in that tree house would probably scar her for life._

"Just wait, you'll see. All you need is some time to heal"

 _She didn't want to wait, she wanted to just forget this ever happened._

"You're like the bravest person I know. And I know that you're strong enough to pull through this"

 _She- Shaggy, thought she was brave? Sure, she knew she was a step up from her high school days, but brave?_

"And like me and Scoob and Scrap and even the rest of the gang if you want to tell them will be here with you every step of the way"

…

"Thank you…"

The beatnik smiled along with her, knowing he at least made some progress. She leaned her body away from their hugging position but didn't shrug off the arm that was still wrapped around her shoulder.

"How do you know exactly what to say?"

Shaggy shrugged, "I don't know really. I guess I've just gotten practice whenever my little sister would get hurt by a boy or something"

Daphne thought back to Maggie and smiled. It reminded her of when she and Shaggy were still in high school, solving mysteries back in their hometown of Coolsville with the old gang.

"Did you mean what you said? About me being the bravest person you know?"

The hippy nodded.

"And about being there?"

"Yeah, like I meant it. We're gonna help you get through this"

The two friends sat on the bed in silence for a while, staring out the tiny cracks in the blinds covering the window in front of them, simply enjoying each other's company. Both their heads turned towards the closed motel door when the heard two familiar voices echoing through the halls coming closer.

"Like, sounds like Scoob and Scrap are back"

The red head murmured in agreeance before standing up from the bed, the beatnik copying her actions a second later.

"So, um, like do want to tell them? The dogs I mean? Like, I totally understand if you don't want to I was just-"

Daphne raised a hand to cut him off.

"Yes. Not right now, but maybe we could discuss it when we hit the road tomorrow morning. And um, Shaggy?"

"Yeah Daph?"

"Thanks. I really needed to get that off my chest"

"Like no problem. You are feeling better, right?"

"Yeah, I'm better, but I'm gonna turn in early tonight. I kinda wore myself out"

The hippy completely understood, and bid her goodnight when he let himself out. Watching TV with the dogs in his own room later that night, Shaggy couldn't help but worry about his red headed friend. He knew she was getting better, and that she would be fine again, but that still didn't help his growing anxiety. Seeing that both dogs were asleep on the bed, the beatnik carefully untangled himself from where he was sitting in between the two canines and slowly made his way to Daphne's room. Turning her door knob slowly, he quickly peeked his head in to see the Daphne sleeping, the rising and falling of her body confirming this. He smiled, happy to know she was ok.

"Sleep tight Daph", Shaggy whispered, carefully closing the door shut. The red head gave a small smile in response, before snuggling up into the bedspread to get some rest.

* * *

And, there you have it! Please review!


End file.
